Zahid sways Umno rank and file acceptance of alliance with PH in unity government

KUALA LUMPUR – A groundswell of acceptance seems to have arisen among Umno’s rank and file regarding the party’s recent cooperation with bitter rival Pakatan Harapan (PH), after party president Zahid Hamidi made a case for the pact on the third day of the party’s general assembly.

Umno’s top leaders made the unpopular decision in late November for Barisan Nasional, the coalition Umno leads, to back PH leader Anwar Ibrahim in forming Malaysia’s so-called unity government. This raised more than a few eyebrows and murmurs of dissent, given the long-standing enmity between both coalitions.

Umno and other Malay-based political parties have previously accused the Democratic Action Party (DAP), a key component of the PH coalition, of seeking to undermine privileges accorded to the Bumiputera – Malays and narrative minorities – and Islamic interests.

But it appears that Zahid has convinced members that Umno’s values were safeguarded during his negotiations with PH in the aftermath of 2022’s general election that resulted in a hung Parliament.

In his policy speech on Friday, he explained at great length that Umno had laid out its conditions to PH and rival bloc Perikatan Nasional (PN), which were both seeking to coalesce other parties, including BN, to gain the parliamentary majority needed to form the government.

Besides issues of Islam and Malay and bumiputera rights, Umno’s terms included the royal institution and the Malay language. Another condition was that the eventual government formed would not be associated with the name of a party, but be known as a unity government.

PH and the DAP agreed to these terms, which convinced Umno to ally with them, he told the 5,000-plus delegates at the party’s headquarters in Kuala Lumpur for the four-day annual assembly that began on Wednesday. 

Delegates who spoke to The Straits Times after Zahid’s speech appeared to be satisfied with his clarification on Umno’s stance towards having a working relationship with DAPwhich has been perceived as having an anti-Malay bias, .

Barisan Nasional Wanita communications director Rosni Zahari said: “Why not work with DAP? We are a multiracial country and DAP has compromised with Umno’s demands. They have agreed with the terms and conditions of Umno, so there is no problem for us working with them.”

Another delegate, who wanted to be known as Adam J., 40, said he has no qualms about Umno working with DAP, as the decision was decreed by the King to form a unity government.

“Being in the government also gives Umno an opportunity to strengthen its capabilities, as opposed to being in the opposition, which would have been the deathbed for Umno,” he told ST.

While Umno now has a mere 26 elected MPs – a far cry from its days as the ruling party, when its Barisan Nasional coalition held a supermajority in Parliament – some delegates said they did not feel their party was small as it had a large membership of 3.35 million, the largest in the country.

Zahid also addressed another hot-button issue, saying he would leave the delegates to decide whether the top Umno positions should be contested in party elections that must be held by May.

“I am confident that Umno members can differentiate between a piece of glass and a jewel, where one is smooth on the outside but crooked on the inside,” he told delegates on Friday.

The party’s youth and women’s wings had on Thursday debated the issue of whether the president and deputy president positions should be unchallenged at the next party polls. Doing so would give Zahid and his deputy, Mr Mohamad Hasan, time to re-establish Umno’s political dominance following the dismal performance in 2022’s election.

This suggestion was panned as “madness” by former health minister Khairy Jamuluddin, who has publicly indicated his intention to contest Umno’s president post in the upcoming party’s elections.

Some delegates told ST on Friday that Zahid should maintain democracy and run in the upcoming polls to prove he has the party’s support.

“The top positions should be contested, as that will be called democracy. It is important to note that this is a new millennium and in today’s times, Mr Zahid should prove he has support within the party,” said Mr Abdul Samad, 75.

There were delegates who suggested that Mr Khairy, 47, is young enough to run for Umno president in the future, and should allow the party to rebuild its support now.

“Let us give chance to our current president Mr Zahid to strengthen the party,” said Datuk Haji Attan, who wants to see Umno reforms implemented.

Conceding that Mr Khairy has the potential to be Umno’s future leader, BN Wanita’s Datuk Rosni said: “I prefer him to be a follower and not a leader during this critical time.” She added: “We need to strengthen Umno and I am not saying that Mr Khairy is not good. But at this time, we need to gain back people’s confidence in Umno.”